Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[SirLink]

No.

Screw the yeti.

That has become a rallying cry for people who are ignorant of the true problem and that is the way Disney manages its theme parks and the decision-making process goes behind them.

These people could be given a Ferrari and within two weeks they find away to total it.

The Yeti is symbolic of the way Disney manages theme park - it is such an easy attempt at getting management back on side.

Look at MS one of their executives started to destroy a fanbase that took them ages to build up. MS triggered their restructure plans - and have been trying to reverse every policy/inept decision. It takes simple steps but if MS can do it - god Disney sure as well can.

 

[marni1971]

Just imagine if NextGen never works as originally planned. Not even close.

For the most part TDO and those in Burbank with say have finally lost the plot. Sadly. It just gets worse and worse.

 

[crispy]

A few of us get it. Some refuse to see it. Most of WDW's visitors won't realize what's happening, but I have a feeling over the next 5 years, more and more will be saying "hey, Let's go on a vacation to Universal Orlando..." instead of saying that about WDW. How long 'til a Super Bowl MVP says "I'm Going to Universal!"

hey...@WDW1974, do you happen to have Eisner's personal email? Can you set up a conference call or something?

Holy Cow! That may be the best marketing idea I've heard in years. Seriously, I hope Universal steals this and does it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

EXACTLY - Disney is laying the foundation for the future on the NextGen project. Sure there are going to be bumps in the road for implementation... this is a whole new way of thinking, planning, and doing... but the payoff in the LONG RUN will be there....they'll probably make enough off the RFID's in the drink mugs (rather than people reusing or not using them as intended) that'll pay for it all so relax and have a magical day LOL!

You can only claim it as a long term foundation if it is indeed a solid foundation. A pile of rubble is not going to last.

Disney is stepping out on a limb first for the RFID NextGen offerings... I truly believe they will get it right and it will pay dividends down the road.... and most of us will like it down the road too

They really are not. Many different aspects and components of NextGen have been available for at least a few years now from vendors at IAAPA. In deciding to grab everything and jump Disney has screwed up royally. They did not even have the very basics of a good website before this project, and they ran head first into a massive IT infrastructure upgrade and deployment along with a massive expansion of services when they could barely handle the outdated infrastructure and services they already offered.

Disney isn't designing their parks and resorts for just what you and I want

And why not? Disney keeps chasing this elusive "common" guest that is nowhere to be found. They make the merchandise the stuff the "common" guests wants and it does nothing for overall sales. They make every attraction about market researched brands and it doesn't bring people. They even built an entire park all about appeal to "common, non-Disney fans" and it felt completely and totally flat on its face. Creative endeavors sell when they are sincere, and often times that means they are created by fans for fans. We have seen that with the amazing success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Cars Land (an oddball for sure but it had the right people who cared protecting an otherwise merchandise oriented decision). We see it in other mediums as well, where a nerd like Joss Whedon is given complete control over a big budget film (a huge error according to the numbers in his history) and it become one of the biggest films of all time.

 

[Sully83]

I have several issues with the nextgen system but only 2 major ones.

1. I am not hundred percent sure on this but from just following everything in regards to how disney allocates money I think I understand this but if I am wrong I apologize this. It seems to me that to much of this investment is being put directly on TDO. Obviously we know how much they like to spend their budgeted money but this is something a lot bigger then putting pandora in animal kingdom or star wars land in hollywood studios which just benefits them as a resort. If this grand scheme is fully realized and ends up being successful like they want then this will revolutionize disney parks and resorts and even the disney company as a whole in a way. Think about the merchandising power that they might have knowing the type of disney characters your kids like and the general age of your kids just because they are datamining your whole trip. I spend a lot of time on this site and other disney sites and because of googles advertising I basically get WDW ads on every web page I go to because of it, you really don't think about that at first and I am sure it is the same for every other person on here. Now if disney can use that to gain a upperhand in the type of disney things you like and the types of disney things your kids like, doesn't that seem that is benefitting a lot more people then just WDW. The point is why is this resting so much on TDO where a major investment like this should be coming more out of the coffers of the general funds for the disney company and the general funds budgeted to parks and resorts. The parks general funds should be left to the stuff that TDO already does not spend it on like park maintence and new rides, etc etc.

2. Speaking of google, I think we all can agree that outside the US govt, no one does more datamining on us then what google does. They are the best at it, because they have dedicated the whole existance of their company to the ultimate goal that they will be able to use the stuff you do to predict the future patterns of your pocketbook. They are the best at it but are no where close to perfecting it yet. Disney has been around a long time but this have never been a major goal to disney until recently. Talk about the arrogance of a company by trying to do something on a scale so much more grand then your grocers savings card and try to step into what basically into what company like google are so good at. They never knew where to begin at in the first place and then they threw billions of dollars at it. Someday this idea may be great, but they should of brought other companies that are more familier how to do what they want to help them out. They also need to get the product more in the hands of all their front end employees to let them test it out since they are the ones that will be using it in the field. If they don't know how to use it correctly then I don't care how great of a dream it is it will never work because the ones actually using it won't understand it potentials.

 

[mickey2008.1]

If us on here are having a hard time understanding this nextgen thing and exactly all the benefits it will bring in five or six years, how do you think the people who just go without knowledge are going to know what to do. The only way I know anything about this Mydisney Experience is from this website, otherwise i would be a lost dumbass in WDW, and probably still am because of all the confusion. This is a website with 60,000 users, but WDW has millions in attendence, and many who will be blind sided. They should have waited and got it all implemented before trying to rush everything and confusing their guests. I will be one of those who will be taking a year off or two just to wait and see how it all plays. Great infrastructure, but what does that do for my stay and family, it's already hard enought to plan a trip, and with only 4 FP+ perp day for one park only, I am not going to park hop anymore, which leads me to spend less money there because I cant park hop to the fullest extent, and the price increase is not worth it to me jut so I can go to MK for the day and EPCOT for dinner. I will just go offsite, cheaper in the end.

 

[WDWDad13]

I bet less people will complain about NextGen when they are near a Aloha Isle and get an alert notification of a coupon to use to get one lol

 

[truecoat]

For me, I like the idea of not having to bring a wallet to the parks. I can wear the magic band and that's it. As far as having all this planning to do, 3 FP a day isn't much planning and you have to make reservations early anyway. I don't understand the hassle.

 

[lobelia]

It seems like they rushed the NGE project into action before it was fully designed. Contrast that with the detailed design work they do on the attractions and take forever to complete construction. Perhaps if they didn't attach so many components to the project they would have the time to fix it before moving on to the next component.

I don't know if any of you have someone they know who attended the Boy Scout Jamboree this year, but they have an phone ap somewhat similar to the My Experience. Each participant was asked to complete an online activity request and they were assured they would have time scheduled for that activity. It was connected to their BSA account with picture included. Once you purchased the ap you could sign into your account and your schedule for activities was in there. There was a link to the overall schedule, a wall that your unit could message everyone with announcements, a map with tracker of you and where your friends were (optional), a function that you could scan your friend's contact information into your phone or bump it depending on your phone, and a page that linked to the BSA facebook, jamboree pictures on flickr, etc. I can't say how many people used it or if they liked it. AT&T was a sponsor and they made sure that there were plenty of phone coverage, plus Wi-Fi (which was hard to use, too many people wanted online, just like Magic Kingdom this spring). They also had charging stations

 

[lazyboy97o]

I bet less people will complain about NextGen when they are near a Aloha Isle and get an alert notification of a coupon to use to get one lol

But is something like this truly best for the entertainment experience? Do you build immersion by distracting people and sending them to their phone or a kiosk or a "Cast Member" holding an iPad? Yeah, a coupon might be great, but what happens to the built environment with a marked increase in anachronisms?

 

[WDWDad13]

I think people are going to be buried in technology in the future whether we like it or not (smartphones, watches, etc.)

 

[doctornick]

For me, I like the idea of not having to bring a wallet to the parks.

I think a lot of people on here fail to recognize or appreciate how true this is. Especially if someone is going to the pool/water parks. But even for the regular parks and around the resort.

That said, I don't think they needed to spend 2-3 billion to develop that.

 

[Ignohippo]

A few of us get it. Some refuse to see it. Most of WDW's visitors won't realize what's happening, but I have a feeling over the next 5 years, more and more will be saying "hey, Let's go on a vacation to Universal Orlando..." instead of saying that about WDW. How long 'til a Super Bowl MVP says "I'm Going to Universal!"

hey...@WDW1974, do you happen to have Eisner's personal email? Can you set up a conference call or something?

And they did it with a $250 million expansion – not a $3 billion boondoggle.

 

[Beholder]

point well taken... and I agree... I still have some faith tho... I just think things are mismanaged

I'm remaining optimistic with some of the personnel moves things may be changing down the road...we'll see

I really love your optimism. I try to be optimistic about most things in life, WDW included. I don't like that so much has been spent on Next Gen, and I really wish at least some of that $$$ was put into new/updated attractions, but like you, right or wrong, I continue to believe things will turn around. I still plan on going to UNI/IoA, plan on enjoying all the things it has to offer, but I'll still drink some of the Disney kool aid.

 

[Clever Name]

Ok, I'm all caught up. Clever Minion reporting for duty in the new thread Sir!

 

[Ignohippo]

for what its worth, the real screw up with NGE (from my project manager chair) is there was clearly no good beta testing.

some others indicated why not test at a smaller park--that could have worked too, yes. but in reality, something like this can be built in a "sandbox" and with few exceptions, fully vetted (hard to do for scale, but it can be hypotheiszed).

a lot of these bugs and over-runs...should have been caught before the overall project was greenlit, and thus they could have been addressed sooner (and cheaper).

if i was running a project, and i went 2+ billion over budget...i would certainly be looking for a new job, even if the overruns were no fault of mine.

i think what keeps this rolling, is that reports are based on the testing in parks thus far, people using the bands are spending more money. and thats really enough to keep going, in Disney's eyes.

I get the feeling more and more that this is Rasulo's baby (insiders please correct me if it isn't). For whatever reason, probably because he's always been so insanely fiscally responsible (er...cheap), he has Iger and Staggs eating out of his hands. At the basis, he sold them on the idea that they could know everything there was possible to know about their guests and that would, in the end, allow them to completely control guest spending. Iger and Staggs loved the way that sounded, so they bought into it hook, line and sinker.

3 egos run completely amuck. Rasulo, for whatever reason, is untouchable.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Screw the yeti.
That has become a rallying cry for people who are ignorant of the true problem and that is the way Disney manages its theme parks and the decision-making process goes behind them.
These people could be given a Ferrari and within two weeks they find away to total it.

But...the Yeti isn't my type! I was being facetious. As a former castmember I know all too well about Disney management. I was working the night they decided to get rid of the turnstiles at PI and "open up" the island to regular guests to drive more bodies onto the island so people would spend more $$. I called PI's demise right then and there.

 

[devoy1701]

I get the feeling more and more that this is Rasulo's baby (insiders please correct me if it isn't). For whatever reason, probably because he's always been so insanely fiscally responsible, he has Iger and Staggs eating out of his hands. At the basis, he sold them on the idea that they could know everything there was possible to know about their guests and that would, in the end, allow them to completely control guest spending. Iger and Staggs loved the way that sounded, so they bought into it hook, line and sinker.

3 egos run completely amuck. Rasulo, for whatever reason, is untouchable.

he must have some compromising photos of someone higher up!

 

[WDWDad13]

I really love your optimism. I try to be optimistic about most things in life, WDW included. I don't like that so much has been spent on Next Gen, and I really wish at least some of that $$$ was put into new/updated attractions, but like you, right or wrong, I continue to believe things will turn around. I still plan on going to UNI/IoA, plan on enjoying all the things it has to offer, but I'll still drink some of the Disney kool aid.

one thing we easily forget is... even without a penny spent on NextGen...there's no guarantee Disney would have spent money on new attractions sooner

 

[Goofyernmost]

So spending 3billion to see how I spend hundreds makes a lot of sense I get the in line interaction, but that does not make my trip that much better and give me the wow factor that new attractions would or great refurbs. Most people that go to the parks will never even see this nextgen stuff and just see that the parks are still the same as they were 5 years ago. Finally I will be able to keep up with Spirit for once and not be lost in thousands of posts. Looking forward to your comments.